Tag Archives: Poland

At the beginning of May 2016 our comrade Patryk Cichoń from Poland was arrested by British police under an European Arrest Warrant. Patryk is a well known anti-fascist militant notorious among nazi-bonehead scum in his city for his uncompromising stance against them in the past. Boneheads managed to convince a few of their friends to testify against Patryk and his friend for alleged assault and robbery. As it appeared later, his friend had very good alibi and had the charges dropped (despite being allegedly recognised by the “victim” and his friends), so Patryk ended up being sentenced on his own. The whole trial was an absolute travesty and Patryk as a poor, young working class person was not able to afford a proper defence. He spent two months on remand in 2004 and was sentenced to three years in prison.
It is clear that this whole case was politically motivated and had only one purpose, which was to get rid of the core of the anti-fascist resistance in Patryk’s home town.
Rather than doing prison time, he decided to escape abroad and came to UK in 2005. He started his new life there, continuing to be involved in anti-fascist activity: organising gigs in London, including United and Strong Fest which has seen lots of great Antifa bands from all over Europe performing, and raising money for antifascist initiatives. He was also the editor of the ‘Skinhead Revolt‘ fanzine, which was the first left wing skinhead publication in Polish.
After his arrest, he spent 9 days behind bars and was then was released under strict bail conditions, including a curfew and an electronic tag. On June 24 he has to attend another hearing that will most likely decide upon his extradition. Patryk is fighting against being sent back to Poland as he has a family in the UK, including his partner and an 8-year-old son.
He currently needs all the solidarity we can offer. He has already spent his savings on legal defence and will need more money to continue, but in the meantime his family also needs supporting.
Patryk was always there if others needed help and assistance, please make sure he is not left on his own now.
Fundraising is organised by Brighton Anarchist Black Cross. You can pay money to our paypal address:thebottledwasp @ riseup . net (please choose “payment to a friend” option and add a note saying “for Patryk”)
or to our bank account:Nationwide Acc.
no./Reference: 0321 / 704131186
[NB: The sender will need to quote this account number in the additional reference section on their payment instruction]IBAN: GB97NAIA07009333333334
BIC: NAIAGB21

On 7th June Lech Poznań football team won the Championship of Poland. Using the cover of celebrations, far right hooligans attacked Od:zysk squat in the centre of the city. There was also an attack on anarchist bookshop Zemsta: the doors were set on fire and flares have been thrown inside the building through the broken windows.
This is the statement from Od:zysk/Rozbrat squats collectives on these incidents:

Yesterday we were once again witnesses to how being “antisystem” works in the case of the far right. Nationalists, who have been infiltrating community of football fans for years, are trying to use the popularity of football. After yesterday’s match, the “opponents” of power didn’t take the opportunity to attack the building that is represented by Platforma Obywatelska (Civic Platform, the ruling party) – the Voivodship Office

Their “antisystem” approach is represented by smashing windows of an anarchist bookshop/café “Zemsta”. 40 people broke windows and destroyed the gate of the building. However, banks, including those responsible for harassment of tenants and brutal evictions, remained untouched. “Antisystem” activists didn’t move towards the courts that treat them unjustly, neither have they attacked the local jail. As the next target a few hundred football hooligans attacked Od:zysk squat, social-political centre that serves as home for those that can’t afford horrendous rents and expensive life on “Green Island [of Economic Growth]” as it was once called by one of the prominent politicians. So people attempting to renovate an old, decaying building with their own resources, not taking any grants from the authorities and contesting its politics are the real enemies of the far right. It is towards them that nationalists shouted “We will burn you”. Brave “antisystem” guys once again revealed their true face, aiming at the weak and poor, hiding in the crowd of celebrating fans and trying to attack those that resist them in their brownshirt march.

We will not be intimidated and will keep saying NO to racism, nationalism, homophobia and intolerance, that the far right militants try to impose upon us with the help of rocks, flares and fists. We will not stand and watch idly when places that try to build grassroots anti system social movement are becoming the victims of the politics of fear.

Those attacks are just the beginning. Far right aims at a confrontation. They say that the state isn’t working and that’s why situation is bad in the country. We say it is bad BECAUSE the state IS working. And it is going to be worse if power is in the hands of the right that calls out to deal with the left wing activists, anarchists as well as national, sexual and ethnic minorities etc. – in short anybody that doesn’t fit THEIR standards of being Polish.

Today, once again, anarchist squats were attacked, tomorrow violence will reach universities, schools and the streets. Just in the last two years there have been racist attacks against Roma in Łódź, Zabrze, Andrychów, Wrocław and other cities of Poland. We will not be intimidated by nationalist terror. Organise!

Monday 20 April: Last night in the early morning hours, police raided a house squatted by activists in Mariacka street, Katowice. The police used rubber bullets, smoke, and stun grenades. 21 people were beaten up and arrested. (At least 3 people were taken to hospital) The people imminently stated that they are starting a hunger strike against their detention. According to the police, the people are accused of breaching domestic peace (in an empty building!). Solidarity picket took place at 13:00 in front of the cop station at Lompy 19, Katowice. In Poznan at 14:00 solidarity picket in front of the Regional Police station, Kochanowskiego 2a.

Katowice. Another day of meetings for the European elites. The subject is TTIP and hundreds of other anti-social programs, forced on people against their will. A group of anarchists and trade unionists who organize Anticongress, together with the people that need a roof above their head, have squatted one of the thousands of empty buildings, which after being ‘cleaned’ of the tenants awaits its demolition and transformation into an office building. On the front wall, a huge banner is hung, saying ‘human capital resists!’. In the newly opened space, the ‘Alternative Economical Forum’ took place. The debates started on a different kind of economic politics, the kind that could reverse the trend of radical accumulation of wealth into the hands of the elites in Europe and the world. Our political line was set by the very act of squatting the empty building – for there is no sense in waiting and counting on the powers to change something for us – we alone can be the change. The most dangerous weapon is the disobedience towards the elite, who get rich by our expense.

Towards the postulates of disobedience – moreover – putting them in practice, the powers have only one answer: naked violence. Anti-terrorist squads armed with rubber bullets were sent against the people. The police was aiming at the people inside the building, they used smoke-grenades, and stun grenades. Almost all the participants of the Alternative Economical Forum were brutally beaten up, many people are wounded, one person got an epilepsy attack. Everyone was taken into police vans.

The decision of such brutal pacification, that loud festival of violence that keeps company to the next day of Economical Congress enrages us, but not surprises: handful of elite’s biggest fear is the disobedience itself – the last form of saying no to the illusion of ‘democracy’, inhumane and precarious working for this shit, that they cynically feed us with in their media. On the other hand, what also can the State expect, while they lead the widening of this enormous gap? When 80 people in the world has more than half of the human population, when people in this country literally rot from the credits they take to live decently?! Your anti-terrorist armies are good for nothing. We will not live a day longer in humiliation.

Solidarity with Katowice! We promise revenge for every stab in the back of our friends.

The best support, that we are asking for in the name of the detained is everyday resistance and disobedience to the capitalists and their world.